by C. Morgan
Or rather he looked like a full-course meal.
He turned to me but still had his eyes downcast as he struggled with his tie. “This damn thing is giving me grief,” he said. “Any chance you’re any good at tying a—” He broke off as his blue gaze swept up to me. A sound escaped him that might have been a word if he had the presence of mind to speak, but it seemed he did not.
I reveled in the way he looked at me. No man had ever looked at me like that.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“Like it?” he breathed, blinked rapidly, and gave his head a shake. “I think I almost went into cardiac arrest.”
“Well don’t do that.” I strode across the room toward him and smoothed my hands over his shoulders. He stood tall and proud as I undid his tie and started over, draping it around the back of his neck and tucking it neatly under his crisp white collar. He’d shaved this afternoon and I ran a steady finger along the line of his sharp jaw. “You look very handsome.”
“I’m going to look like a schmuck beside you.”
“Through no fault of your own,” I teased.
He smiled dashingly. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Have I told you that?”
I ceased with his tie and met his eyes. “No, you haven’t.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“Stop saying things that will make me want to kiss you. This lipstick isn’t easy to apply this perfectly.”
“We still have twelve minutes.”
I tightened his tie and squared the knot. “Coming from the guy who was in such a rush just a minute ago?”
“I have my priorities.”
“So do I,” I told him. “And that’s doing the job you paid me for. What do you say we head down ten minutes early and get our seats? It will give people something to talk about before the rehearsal dinner starts. Besides, you must be excited to see Cora.”
At the mention of his daughter, his eyes lit up. “I am.”
“Then let’s go find her.”
A long foyer lay before us. Three doors broke off the chandelier-lit hallway, each one leading to a different ballroom. The large ballroom at the far end was closed in preparation for the wedding tomorrow night. The second ballroom was booked for an event this evening, and the third, the smallest one, had the doors propped open and there was a sign that had Logan and Mona’s name written on it in cursive.
My stomach did a little backflip as we approached and I couldn’t pinpoint why I was so nervous all of a sudden. The stakes felt high, even though this whole thing was nothing but a farce. I didn’t need any of these people to like me, and I certainly didn’t need their approval, but this felt like an extreme version of meeting someone’s parents for the first time.
In reality, I was meeting Rylen’s ex-family—all the people he used to care about and who used to care about him before he and Mona fell apart.
If I was this nervous, I could only imagine how nervous he was as we rounded the corner and stepped through the doors into the ballroom.
The decor took my breath away.
There was one long table down the middle of the ballroom. A white tablecloth left a plain canvas for the extravagant decor to really shine. Gold candelabras held flickering candles and jewels dripped from each one. Silver, white, and blue flowers burst out of crystal vases. The acrylic chairs blended seamlessly into the room like they weren’t even there.
“Wow,” I breathed as we walked in and approached the table which already seated about half of the guests. If I had to guess, there were about thirty or so chairs. I was surprised Rylen and I had even been invited to the rehearsal dinner. I supposed it might have something to do with the fact that Mona wanted Rylen to have Cora tonight. We’d made the most of our afternoon up in our room for that exact reason.
“This is magical,” I said.
“It’s Mona,” Rylen said matter-of-factly. I wasn’t sure if he appreciated the splendor of it all or if he thought it was a bit overdone. I could understand why someone would think that. But that a lot of weddings were overdone.
All eyes were pulled in our direction like we were magnetic. I kept my gaze averted as Rylen stepped forward and scanned the place settings for our names. He found them closer to the far end of the table from where the bride and groom would sit.
With a hand in the small of my back, he pulled out my chair for me. Whispers went up all around the table and it was no secret they were talking about us.
As I sat down, Rylen leaned in close so his lips almost grazed my ear. “You’re making an impression in that dress.”
I giggled bashfully as I sat and he tucked me in.
He sat down beside me and poured us each a glass of water from a glass pitcher. I made sure to pick it up with my left hand so I could flash the ring on my finger to anyone and everyone who was paying attention.
In other words, in one simple gesture, I showed everyone at the table my faux engagement ring.
The whispering continued in full force.
I only had eyes for Rylen. I wanted to chalk that up to the job he’d paid me to do, but truth be told, I didn’t really give a damn about anyone else. He was the only one who mattered. He tugged my chair toward him and draped an arm over the back of it to run his fingers over my shoulder. I liked how he wanted me close because this was right where I wanted to be.
A hush fell over the ballroom when a couple walked through the doors. Rylen glanced up and I followed his gaze down the length of the table to see Mona and Logan walking hand in hand. Cora was with them. She wore a silver dress that looked very much like her mother’s. Mona’s dress fit her slim figure beautifully. The spaghetti straps were made of crystals and they glittered as she moved, as did the slight dusting of highlighter on her collarbones. She looked ethereal as she glided into the room on her fiancé’s arm.
She and I locked eyes.
I tipped my head in a silent greeting and offered her a polite smile. Mona smiled back before looking away and saying hello to her guests as they made their way down the length of the table. Logan, who looked dashing in a light gray suit and bow tie, shook hands, clasped shoulders, and shared some laughs with family and friends.
Meanwhile, Cora fidgeted with the dark blue bow in her hair.
Until Rylen leaned back in his chair and waved at her.
“Daddy!”
Cora sprang forward. Mona glanced down and watched as her daughter raced along the side of the table behind everyone’s chairs. Rylen pushed his chair back in time to catch her as she leapt into his lap. Her giggles filled the ballroom and every set of eyes had left Mona and were focused on her daughter and ex-husband as he gave her a tight hug that I knew he’d been aching to do all week.
He kissed her cheek, held her face in his hands, and leaned back so he could get a good look at her. “Why do you look so grown up?”
Cora giggled. “Mommy let me put some makeup on for pictures.”
His brows drew together.
I reached over and put a hand on his forearm to still the words I knew he wanted to say. Makeup? You’re only five! That wouldn’t help anything. Mona clearly wanted perfection on her wedding day. She’d certainly paid for it. If that meant her five-year-old was wearing a bit of powder, blush, and mascara, so be it.
“You look beautiful, Cora,” I told the little girl.
She looked over at me. For a moment, she didn’t recognize me. Her big brown eyes swept over my face and back down to the dress. She blinked at me.
“You look like a princess,” she said softly.
I smiled and poked her gently on the end of her cute button nose. “So do you.”
Chapter 32
Rylen
The rehearsal dinner was well underway. The guests had enjoyed their salad, soup, and main-course chicken entree and were now milling around the ballroom sipping wine or cocktails while they mingled with friends and family.
On the opposite side of the ballroom from the dining table, a social area had been se
t up with standing tables, chaise lounges on plush carpets where Cora played with another little girl, and a bar that served a steady stream of guests. Logan’s parents had paid for an open bar both for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding night. As I sipped my second glass of wine for the evening, I wondered if that was a decision they’d come to regret. From where I was standing, it looked like there were already a fair number of intoxicated guests, the twins included.
Suzie and Shannon spoke loudly at a high table while they nursed what appeared to be vodka and cranberry. They saw me passing as I made my way to the bar to grab another drink for myself and Natalie, who’d gone over to sit on the edge of a chaise so she could chat with Cora and her second cousin, Ginny.
Suzie caught my elbow as I walked past. “Rylen, you never told us your fiancée was an absolute smoke show.”
Shannon nodded eagerly. “Where on earth did you meet a girl like that?”
My gaze wandered over to Natalie. She was leaning over and listening to Cora, who was telling her all about the doll she was playing with. It had probably taken some convincing on Cora’s part to talk her mother into letting her bring it down to the ballroom.
“We were introduced through a friend,” I said. Not the whole truth but not a lie either.
Two more cousins popped up, one on either side of me. I’d spent Christmas dinners with these people for years. I’d purchased gifts, helped make dinner, laughed at their jokes, and been involved in their personal lives. Mona had a big family and they meant everything to her. Therefore, they had meant everything to me when they were my family, too.
Now it didn’t feel like any of that had ever been real.
The cousins talked to me like we were high-school acquaintances. As expected, all anyone seemed to care about was the juicy gossip of the night—Natalie. Nobody had even asked me how I was doing.
I supposed it was naïve of me to believe they would.
The two new cousins, Alphie and his sister Denna, chimed in immediately.
Alphie nudged me in the ribs. “Good job, man. Don’t tell Mona but that’s a serious upgrade.”
“Alphie,” Denna hissed. “That’s incredibly rude.”
“What?” he asked innocently. “I’m just saying. Mona moved on. So did Rylen. Good for you, buddy. She’s sexy as hell. Looks like she’s a bit of a freak, too. Yes, no?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
Alphie chuckled. “Sorry, overstepping, I know. How’ve you been, bro?”
Typical that the only person to ask me how I was doing was the person I liked the least. “Fine.”
“Me too, me too.” Alphie grinned. I wondered how many drinks he’d had. His eyes had that glazed-over look they usually did when he was six or seven drinks into family dinners and his cheeks were turning red. “Can’t believe we’re in Paris. Never thought I’d come to a place like this. Logan’s family sure has coin, huh?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Has coin?”
“Yeah, they’re loaded.” Alphie snickered. “And we get to reap the benefits. Look at this place! It’s Mona’s dream wedding. Every time she talked about it over this past year, I was rolling my eyes at her but I finally see what all the fuss is about.”
“It is beautiful,” Denna agreed. “Don’t you think, Ry?”
“Who could deny it?” I tipped my head toward the bar. “I’m going to go order some drinks. Have a good night.”
They weren’t willing to let me go that easily.
“Your fiancée is pretty gutsy,” Denna said.
Alphie nodded eagerly. “No shit she is. She’s happy as a little bird. Look at her, flitting around making introductions.”
I followed his gaze. Natalie had indeed left chatting with the kids and was wandering around the ballroom introducing herself to people.
Suzie leaned one elbow on the table and polished off the rest of her vodka cran. “She’s not intimidated at all to be here, is she?”
“Why would she be?” I asked.
Suzie looked up at me, incredulous. “Why would she be nervous about being at your ex-wife’s wedding?”
“She has no reason to be,” I said. “Mona is my ex-wife. She moved on. So have I. Natalie has no reason to have any self-doubt in this room.”
“Easier said than done,” Shannon said.
At first, I’d relished the gossip but now I was beginning to loathe it. These people—people who used to call me when they had a flat tire or a sick animal—were making it quite clear that they thought Mona deserved happiness but I did not. And I was the one who’d been betrayed in my marriage, not Mona.
Without another word, I left the cousins and made for the bar where I ordered two glasses of red wine.
As I waited, an uncle approached with a half-empty glass of what appeared to by whiskey.
“Rylen,” he said with a curt nod.
“Daniel.”
Daniel was perhaps one of the only men in the family I still respected. He was an old-fashioned guy in his mid fifties who ran his own flooring business which he was in the process of handing down to his son, who hadn’t made it to the wedding because his wife had just had their first baby.
“Congrats on the upgrade to grandpa status,” I said.
He gave me a whiskery smile. “Thank you, Rylen. If I didn’t feel like an old man before, I’m starting to now.”
“Old is a state of mind.”
The bartender handed me my two glasses of wine. I excused myself and searched for Natalie in the crowd. I found her surrounded by, lo and behold, the cousins. Alphie was talking animatedly with his hands. Natalie watched him with a pinched expression like it was causing her pain to be in the same vicinity as him.
I understood that look.
I crossed the ballroom purposefully and interrupted them by handing Natalie her glass of wine. She drank thankfully and made wide eyes at me as I stepped in front and then beside her. Apparently, she found Alphie as irritating as I always had.
“So what do you do for work, Natalie?” Shannon asked. Her tone was polite but her eyes glinted with mischief.
Natalie must have detected the same hint of a threat because she gave Shannon a placating smile and sipped her wine to buy her a minute to think. “I’m a consultant for design firms,” she lied smoothly. “I work mostly in industrial buildings and common areas, not homes or private offices.”
Shannon nodded. “Fascinating.”
Natalie cocked her head to the side and smiled innocently. “Is it?”
Shannon shared a look with Suzie, who immediately looked away.
I cleared my throat and put a hand in the small of Natalie’s back. “We have more guests to say hello to still. Excuse us.”
Natalie looked up at me gratefully as we abandoned the cousins. “Thank you. That man is a weasel, isn’t he?”
“Alphie? Yes. Undoubtedly.”
“We can get out of here whenever you’re ready. Cora was starting to yawn and rub at her eyes. Poor thing had mascara all over the place, so I wiped most of it away for her.”
I stopped walking. “Thank you.”
She shrugged. “Makeup is harmless, Rylen. I know it bothers you, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s no big deal that her mother wanted her eyelashes to stand out for pictures. I’m sure that her intent is innocent. But I do understand why it bothers you.”
All I wanted was to retire to the room with my woman and my daughter. We could change into our fluffy robes, watch a movie, and order room service. I knew Natalie had her eye on some of the appetizers on the menu and tonight felt like the perfect time to try some of them.
“Let’s stay another hour,” I told her. “I don’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of leaving early.”
Natalie slid her hand inside my jacket and down to squeeze my ass. It surprised me and I rocked up onto the balls of my feet.
She stretched up and giggled softly in my ear. “Let’s really give them all something to talk about, then.”
I guided her to stan
d in front of me.
Her brows knit together. “What is it?”
I grimaced and looked around. “I have a pitched tent and I need you to stand right here until I compose myself.”
Natalie’s eyes widened before she erupted into a fit of laughter.
“It’s not funny.” I scowled.
“It’s kind of funny.” She glanced down and drew her bottom lip into her mouth. “And kind of cruel because I can’t do anything about that tonight.”
“Please stop talking.”
She obliged, sipped her wine, and looked everywhere but at me while I waited for my pants to feel a little less tight. Then we carried on with our evening.
I didn’t last the full hour like I wanted to before I called it quits. Cora had dozed off on one of the chaise lounges and needed to be brought up and put to bed. Natalie and I set our empty wine glasses down on the bar before I went over and scooped my daughter up. She didn’t wake up. She was out cold.
Natalie and I made for the ballroom doors but were stopped by Mona, who smiled graciously at Natalie before turning her hardening stare on me. “Can I talk to you in private for a moment?”
I glanced at Natalie. She nodded for me to go ahead. “I’ll meet you in the foyer.”
I watched Natalie go. When she vanished from sight, I looked down at Mona, who was staring up at me with her hands on her hips. I frowned. “What?”
“What?” she mocked. “What?”
I’d done something right. Mona had that look in her eyes like she wanted to do battle.
She stepped in a little closer and kept her voice low while our daughter slept on my shoulder. “I don’t appreciate how handsy this new woman is being with you at my wedding. It’s not tactful.”
I felt my eyebrows creeping toward my hairline. “I beg your pardon?”
“Rylen.” Mona spoke my name the way she used to when she was about to pick a fight when we were living in our small apartment and she was mad at me for something or other. At the time, it had annoyed the shit out of me. However, looking back, I wondered if I deserved her wrath. “You didn’t tell me the plus one you were bringing to my wedding was your fiancée. You didn’t think that might be a detail I’d like to know?”
